A Beast Among Gods (The Mac Tire Chronicles) by Garnet Davenport (big screen ebook reader txt) 📗

“Stop. I get it. You’re sorry. Whatever. I don’t want to hear it. I’ve had too many people continue to let me down throughout my life. I don’t need any more,” he explained.

“I’m still sorry. I just don’t want you to care about someone who is going to treat you like crap and make fun of you.”

“You mean like you?” he snapped back, crossing his arms over his small chest.

“I’ve never tortured you. I’m made you keep fighting,” I said, wanting him to look at me. “I talked to my father.”

He looked up at me then and said, “What did he say?”

“I’m the reason you’re here, and if I don’t stay in line, he’s going to make an example of you.”

He audibly gulped.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you. I swear.”

He looked into my eyes and gave me a quick nod. “All right,” he said so quietly.

I looked around at the two metal bunkbeds against the walls. There was barely any room in here for one person, let alone four. I had plenty of space in my own room. I would have them move him into my room. I’d be able to protect him with him there. I wouldn’t have to worry about him at night if he was there.

“I’m going to have them move you into my room,” I said.

“What?” he gasped.

“There are too many things that can happen to you in here. You need to move out,” I said and turned around to go tell the guards to put another bed into the room they had given me.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I’m going to tell them to put another bed in my room.”

I found a guard at the end of the corridor. He stiffened when I came closer.

“I want another bed put into my room. He’s going to move in there with me.”

“I’ll have to verify with the Commander,” he said and swallowed.

“What are you waiting for? Do it,” I demanded.

He grabbed his radio and spoke into it. “Can I get confirmation to move Jamie Dawson into William Fabrizio’s room?”

It took longer than I’d like for a voice on the other end to come through. This was going to happen one way or another. I’d tear apart anyone who would attempt to stop it from happening.

“Verified.”

One solitary voice had come through the radio to confirm everything in one word. At the time, I hadn’t known that this one word was going to change everything about my life and the journey that I was on. The biggest thing was that Jamie’s life was never going to be the same.

“I will have a bed moved in immediately,” the guard said.

I turned to Jamie, who had followed me out. He stayed far enough away to keep out of reach of the guard, which told me more than anything else. It hadn’t just been the other boys that had tortured him. The guards had it out for him as well.

But none of that mattered now. I would be his protector. I would save him from a life of torment from everyone that was bigger than him. He’d never be pushed around again.

“Tell the other guards to stop picking on him.”

“Or what?” He scoffed.

“Or I will start picking on you.” I growled and narrowed my eyes on him.

When I had, I knew that they had glowed green for a moment. He bowed his head to me. I knew what being the Commander’s son meant. I had power. It was almost as if I was the Alpha’s heir. In some aspect, I was.

I turned my back to him and walked back toward Jamie. I pulled him around by his elbow and toward his room.

“Let’s get your things.”

When we got back into his room, he looked at me, confused.

“What?” I asked.

“Did that just happen? I mean really happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“You came in here, starting fights, defending me, telling guards what to do, and they bow to you.”

“It doesn’t matter what I did. It’s going to matter what I do from here on out. I promised you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I’ve spent my life watching everyone around me get killed. It stops here.”

“I shouldn’t have survived through the trials. I’m not going to make it just because you want to keep me safe.”

“You will. Grab your stuff.”

He started to clean his things out of the one and only drawer he had been given. He threw them into a bag and picked it up to carry it back into my—our room.

I tried to take it from him, but he pulled back.

“I’ve got it.”

“Okay.”

As we walked to my room, several other boys watched us, whispering and holding their hands in front of their mouths. I hadn’t cared. Jamie hadn’t cared. He’d probably been the one everyone went after until I showed up. He was the punching bag for all the older boys.

“Here,” I opened several drawers, “you can put your things in here.”

“You don’t need the space?” he asked.

“I’ve got what I’m wearing. That’s it.”

“They’ll give you more uniforms.”

I hadn’t wanted them. My plan was to keep my eyes open just as John had taught me and find my way to get out. I’d have to factor in Jamie now to keep him safe, but it wouldn’t change anything. I’d leave from here, run from my father one last time, and take him with me.

“I don’t need more uniforms,” I murmured.

“What’s happening here?” he asked.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.

“You. Here. You came in angry and then helped me out. You gave me some of your food and got me through the trials. Now, you’re just going to stay? I thought you wanted nothing to do with this place.”

“I don’t. But they don’t need to know that. When there’s an opportunity, I will get us out of here.”

➣ Chapter 12

A Death Which Meant Nothing

It had been eight months since Jamie had moved into my room that I had watched